London’s Retro Revival: Why Vintage Armchairs and Sofas Still Rule There’s something about vintage pieces that grabs me. We had an old floral sofa that was patched and sagging. The arms were shiny from years of elbows, but it was part of us. When the East End was full of voices, you didn’t buy throwaway chairs. You’d keep the same chair your whole life. It’s in the sag of the springs. I once pulled a Chesterfield out of a warehouse in Hackney.

Most people would have walked on, but the history spoke louder than the flaws. It’s carried me through late nights and lazy Sundays. family-friendly furniture in London shifts with the postcode. Belgravia keeps it polished, with buttoned wingbacks. Hackney keeps it raw, arm chairs for kitchen with mismatched sofas. London wouldn’t be London without the variety. Showroom sofas don’t talk back. Vintage finds become part of your life. They carry scratches like tattoos. Here’s the thing, I’ll pick a vintage sofa over new every time.

Your seat should outlast the years. Next time you’re thinking of flat-pack, stop and think of the markets. Grab a vintage sofa, and let it grow with you.